Dual use putter



July 12, 1966 P. c. ORTEL 3,260,525

DUAL USE PUTTER Filed Nov. 4, 1963 INVENTOR PAUL C. ORTEL United States Patent 3,260,525 DUAL USE PUTTER Paul C. Ortel, 6820 Duluth Ave., Baltimore, Md. Filed Nov. 4, 1963, Ser. No. 321,206 Claims. (Cl. 27377) This invention relates to improvements in streamlined head portions of golf clubs, particularly the type of club utilized by golfers for putting.

As is well-known to those who play the game of golf, all players are seeking the ultimate from the various types of golf clubs which they use in the hope that they will find an outstanding club that will assist them to improve their game and consequently result in lowering their total score.

Putters have been made in a wide variety of forms in the belief that it was the most efficient, but the improvements in the universal putter disclosed herein have proved to this applicant and the users to be the solution for difficulties which arise during the act of putting.

There have been many attempts heretofore to produce golf clubs that may be utilized both by right and left handed golfers, but none have proved to be completely satisfactory for diverse reasons.

The present putter is believed to be the solution to most of the ills experienced by golfers.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide an efiicient putter that has the versatility and adaptability desirable to be utilized by either a left handed or a right handed golfer.

Another object of th present invention is to provide a type of putter which although basic in design may be made in different ways so that the manufacturer thereof can furnish clubs which are substantially the same, but may vary somewhat in their completed state.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a golf putter that may be equipped with different weights to meet the needs and desires of the particular individual who uses the club, Without interfering with their streamlined design.

The details of the invention, as well as additional objects and advantages, will be clearly understood with reference to a preferred embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawings employing similar reference numerals to identify the same elements in each of the several views, and in which:

FIG. 1 depicts a view on a putting green showing two golfers, the right handed golfer being shown in full lines while the left handed player is illustrated in phantom lines;

FIG. 2 shows a top plan view of the head of the putter;

FIG. 3 shows a front elevation of the face of the putter which is applied to the basic club face and all of the alternative embodiments thereof;

FIG. 4 is a cross-section on line 4-4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a rear elevational view of the club in FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of a modified form of the invention with a medium weight integrally formed thereon;

FIG. 7 isa side elevational view of a modified form of the invention with a heavy weight integrally formed therein;

FIG. 8 is a modified two part putter with the head being shown partly in elevation and partly in cross-section to reveal the removable weight; and

FIG. 9 is still another modified embodiment also showing the putter particularly in cross-section to reveal the threaded stub and removable weight.

Turning now to the specific views referred to above, FIG. 1 depicts a view on a putting green and on the left 3,260,525 Patented July 12, 1966 thereof is shown a right handed golfer who is using the new improved putter, the subject of this application, and at the right of the drawing, in phantom lines, is shown still another golfer who, in this instance, is left handed, and is preparing to putt.

In the embodiment of the present invention, which is best shown in FIGS. 2-5, the standard light weight form of putter 10 comprises a frusto conical head which is provided with an integral cylindrical extension 11. The putter 10 is appropriately bored and internally threaded at 12 and thereby adapted to receive the shaft 13, the lower extremity of which is provided with an exteriorly threaded portion 14 which is probably best shown in the assembled cross-sectional view in FIG. 4.

This type of putter, which is intended for use by golfers who are either left or right handed, lends itself readily to manufacture. Putters of the type disclosed in this application can be made in various ways by those skilled in the metal working arts. For example, the body and integral extension may be produced by a metal turning operation and brass or bronze rods which are substantially 1 and inches in diameter are adequate for this purpose. In addition, the shape of the body with or without the attached weight lends itself easily to a metal coating operation. The bore 12 could be rought cast and subsequently worked to produce the completed golf club head.

As best depicted in the illustration of FIG. 3, where the golf ball imp-acting face of the putter is shown, there are provided a series of concentric grooves 15 surrounding an axially disposed boss 16. This particular configuration has been found through constant practice and experiment with the putter to be the best design.

In FIGS. 6 and 7 there are shown modified embodiments of the golf club head and in which the integrated weight portions 11' are slightly enlarged. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that some individuals will prefer to evaluate a particular club by trial and error on the golf course, while others who buy on impulse will make their .decision as to their choice of clubs while in the pro shop. This type of purchaser will, in all probability, avail himself of the opportunity to try and buy the integrated golf club head providing the three choices of weights.

For the more discriminating purchaser who prefers to resort to the golf course and actual usage of a golf club to determine its possible value in improving his game the clubs of the type shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 are made available.

In FIG. 8 there is shown a further embodiment of the putter forming this invention and in which the body portion 20 is also frusto-conical, but in lieu of the integral, rigid elongated weight element, referred to hereinbefore, the vertex of the frustum is bored at 21 and subsequently threaded, as shown. The weight which is used in this embodiment and shown in full lines in FIG. 8, resembles in many respects the integral weight shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, but one end thereof is provided with an exteriorly threaded portion, such as illustrated at 22. The phantom lines in this view are intended to depict that it is within the scope of this invention that other weights may be substituted for the relatively light weight shown.

In FIG. 9 there is shown a still further embodiment of the invention land in which the frusto-conical body 30 is provided with an extension 31 at its vertex portion which is properly threaded and adapted to receive a weight 32. In this form of the invention the leading edge of the Weight is suitably feathered as at 33 and arranged tornenge with the periphery of the weight 32. It will be observed upon a close examination of this view that the feathered edge 33 also converges inwardly forming an annular chamfered portion that extends into a bored portion 34 that is suitably threaded, as shown. It is to be noted that in this concept the threaded extension 31 not only facilitates assembly of the weight 32 by reason of the feathered edge 33, but also because of the contour enables the weight to be threaded up on to the threaded portion 31 until the chamfered portion complements the contour of the frust'o-oonical body portion 30.

It is considered to be Within the scope of the invention to provide lfil'llllllll'l'g, milling or any other means of noughening the periphery of the removable weight means, if desirable, since this will facilitate grasping and tightening this element.

Although multiple embodiments of the invention have been depicted and described, it will be apparent that these embodiments are illustrative in nature and that a number of modifications in the apparatus and variations in its end use may be efiected without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An improved golfing putter comprising a generally frusto-conioal body and an elongated portion forming an extension of the vertex of the frusturn of said body, the base of said frustum having a perimeter with a curvature corresponding to that formed by revolving a parabola about the longitudinal axis of said body and converging into a planar ball impacting face portion, said ball impacting face portion including concentric grooves and a handle element carried 'by said body portion so as to be symmetrically disposed relative to the longitudinal axis [of said :body portion whereby the putter may be substantially identically used by left and right handed players.

2. An improved golfing putter as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the elongated portion carried by said body is formed as an integral extension thereof.

3. An improved golfing putter as claimed in claim 1, wherein the vertex of the firuistum of the body is provided with a threaded bore, and said elongated portion is weighted and provided with .a longitudinal exteriorly threaded end adapted to be threadingly received in said bore.

4. An improved golfing putter as claimed in claim 1, wherein the vertex of the frustum of the body is provided with an axial, elongated extension, said extension being exteriorly threaded, said elongated portion being weighted and having front and rear edges and including a threaded inner bore adapted to receive the threaded axial extension carried by the vertex of said frustum, the perimeter of said weighted element menging into a feathered front edge adapted to conform to the frusto oonical perimeter of said body portion.

5. An improved golfing putter as claimed claim 4, wherein the exterior surface of said weighted portion is roughened to facilitate assembly with said threaded extension carried by the body.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 27,732 10/1897 Adams 273167 X 173,578 2/1876 Bauder 273-83 1,096,359 5/1914 Dwight 273169 2,083,189 6/1937 ClOlOkCI' 273-167 2,304,585 12/1942 McMinn 27367 X DELBERT B. LOWE, Primary Examiner.

G. J. MARLO, Assistant Examiner. 

1. AN IMPROVED GOLFING PUTTER COMPRISING A GENERALLY FRUSTO-CONICAL BODY AND AN ELONGATED PORTION FORMING AN EXTENSION OF THE VERTEX OF THE FRUSTUM OF SAID BODY, THE BASE OF SAID FRUSTUM HAVING A PERIMETER WITH A CURVATURE CORRESPONDING TO THAT FORMED BY REVOLVING A PARABOLA ABOUT THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF SAID BODY AND CONVERGING INTO A PLANAR BALL IMPACTING FACE PORTION, SAID BALL IMPACTING FACE PORTION INCLUDING CONCENTRIC GROOVES AND A HANDLE ELEMENT CARRIED BY SAID BODY PORTION SO AS TO BE SYMMETRIALLY DISPOSED RELATIVE TO THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF SAID BODY PORTION WHEREBY THE PUTTER MAY BE SUBSTANTIALLY IDENTICALLY USED BY LEFT AND RIGHT HANDED PLAYERS. 